Pernod Ricard to distribute FUJI, Kirin’s Japanese Super Premium whisky

Pernod Ricard and Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (Kirin Brewery) are happy to announce they have signed an exclusive agreement for the distribution in continental Europe of highly acclaimed Super Premium Japanese whisky FUJI, produced by Kirin’s Group.

Thanks to this partnership, effective since early July 2023, Pernod Ricard will distribute the brand across 13 markets among which France, Italy, Poland and many central Europe countries, and will potentially extend this list to other geographies at a later stage.

FUJI is an aged whisky produced at the historical FUJI Gotemba Distillery, embodying Japanese craftmanship with a range of three aged whiskies, Single Grain, Single Malt and Single Blended. Kirin Brewery's whiskies have been highly acclaimed overseas, all three of the company’s whiskies being awarded "Gold" in the Japanese Whisky category at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC: International Spirits Challenge 2023), a world-class liquor competition held in May this year. Three years after its launch on the Japanese domestic market, the brand is now poised to expand to more international consumers thanks to the extensive distribution network of Pernod Ricard. Over the last 10 years, the Super Premium+ Japanese whisky category has been growing at an average pace of +20% in volume outside Japan according to IWSR figures.

Pernod Ricard has developed along its almost 50 years of existence one of the most comprehensive distribution networks across the industry. This agreement is the second of its kind between Pernod Ricard and Kirin Brewery after the long-standing partnership to distribute Four Roses bourbon in Europe and beyond.

Kirin’s ambition is to make FUJI an ambassador for the Japanese whisky category around the world.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales amounting to €10,701 million in fiscal year FY22. The Group, which owns 17 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive portfolios in the industry with over 240 premium brands distributed across more than 160 markets. Pernod Ricard’s portfolio includes Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur or Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. The Group’s mission is to unlock the magic of human connections by bringing “Good Times from a Good Place”, in line with its Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap. Pernod Ricard’s decentralized organization empowers its 19,480 employees to be on-the-ground ambassadors of its purposeful and inclusive culture of conviviality, bringing people together in meaningful, sustainable and responsible ways to create value over the long term. Executing its strategic plan, Transform & Accelerate, Pernod Ricard now relies on its “Conviviality Platform”, a new growth model based on data and artificial intelligence to meet the ever-changing demand of consumers.
Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code:FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.